544 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1889. 



The road to Wonosalem led through a magnificent forest, in the 

 depths of which we passed a fine ruin of what appeared to have been 

 a royal tomb or mausoleum. It is formed entirely of stone, and elabor- 

 ately carved. Near the base is a course of boldly projecting blocks, 

 sculptured in high relief, with a series of scenes which are probably in- 

 cidents in the life of the defunct. These are all beautifully executed, 

 some of the figures of animals in particular being easily, recognizable 

 and very accurate. The general design, as far as the ruined state of 

 the upper part will permit of its being seen, is very good, the effect be- 

 ing given by an immense number and variety of projecting or retreat- 

 ing courses of squared stones in place of mouldings. The size of the 

 structure is about 30 feet square by 20 feet high, and as the traveler 

 comes suddenly upon it on a small elevation by the road side, over- 

 shadowed by gigantic trees, overrun with plants and creepers, and 

 closely backed by the gloomy forest, he is struck by the solemnity and 

 picturesque beauty of the scene, and is led to ponder on the strange 

 law of progress, which looks so like retrogression, and which in so many 

 distant parts of the world has exterminated or driven out a highly 

 artistic and constructive race, to make room for one which, as far as we 

 can judge is very far its inferior. The number and beauty of the archi- 

 tectural remains in Java have never been popularly illustrated or de- 

 scribed, and it will therefore take most people by surprise to learn that 

 they far surpass those of Central America, perchance those, of India. 

 To give some idea of these ruins, perhaps to excite wealthy amateurs 

 to explore them thoroughly, and to obtain by photography on accurate 

 record of these beautiful sculptures before it is too late, I will enum- 

 erate the most important as briefly described in Sir Stauforus Baffle's 

 History of Java. 



Near the center of Java, between the native capitals of Djoko-Kerta 

 and Sura-Kerta, is the village of Brambanam, not far from which are 

 abundance of ruins, the most important being the temples of Loro- 

 Jongrau and Chandi Sewa. At Loro-Jongran there were separate 

 buildings, six large, and fourteen small temples. They are now a 

 mass of ruins, but the largest temple was supposed to have been 1)0 

 feet high. They were all constructed of solid stone, everywhere 

 decorated with carvings and bas-reliefs, and adorned with numbers 

 of statues, many of which remain entire. At Chaudi-Sewa, or the 

 " thousand temples," are many fine colossal figures. Captain Baker, 

 who surveyed these ruins, said that he had never in his life seen 

 such stupendous and finished specimens of human labor, and the 

 science and taste of ages long since forgotten, crowded together in so 

 small a compass as in this spot. They cover a span of nearly GOO feet 

 square, and consist of an outer row of eighty-four temples; a second row 

 of seventy-six j a third row of sixty-four; a fourth of forty-four; and a 

 fifth forming an inner parallelogram of twenty-eight; in all two hun- 



